Apparatus for making plate glass



Dec. 1931. w, OWEN 1,836,493

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS Filed OCT.. 22, 1930 2 ShSBltS-Sht 1 n w wmf bw Q IIIIIII llllll Illllll ,NM I

DeC. 15, 1931. w, OWEN APPARATUS FOR MAMNG PLATE GLASS Filed Oct. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l [Wwwwwfwm WANNA -m a., d 1..--1; Ym.....\\\\

INVENTOR Qgw Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE WILLIAM OWEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OIF PENNSYLVAN'IA l APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS Application led October 22, 1930. Serial No. 490,439.

The invention relates to apparatus for making plate glass by an intermittent casting or rolling operation and then carrying the glass continuously forward through a leer preferably ofthe roller type. In such an operation, it is desirable to roll the sheet at a relatively high rate of speed and then carry such sheet through the leer at a much reduced rate, as otherwise an exceedingly long leer would be required. The present invention has for its obgect the provision of an improved and sim plified means for carrying outthis operation, the provision of an arrangement for matching of the successive sheets so that they may be made to follow each other in the leer with as short a space therebetween as may be found desirable, and the provision of a construction in which all of the rolls, aside from the sheet forming rolls may be run continuously at one speed, thus avoiding the complication incident to those constructions in which certain sections of the receiving rolls mustbe run at two speeds,l a high speed during the casting operation and a lower speed after the glass has set. One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingr drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view, somewhat diagrammatic in character. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. And Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views of the receiving table, Fig. 3 being a plan View, and Fig. 4 a vertical section.

Referring to the drawings, A is a rolling y apparatus comprising a pair of rolls between which a pot of glass is cast carried by a car B and movable longitudinally of a roller runway or table C during the casting operation; D is a roller leer; E is a line shaft extending longitudinally of the leer and runway and arranged to drive the leer rolls, the runway rolls, the sizing rolls and the car which carries the sizing rolls, such line shafn being driven from its left hand end by a motor which is not shown: and F is a hood of sheet metal extending over the runway and movf able with the car B so that it telescopes into the leer as the car moves from right to left during the casting operation as .later described.

The roller leer D has its runway made up of the sets of rolls 1, 2, etc., each setbeing driven by a chain 4 passingaround sprockets on the ends of the rolls. Each chain is driven from the line shaft E through the intermediary of the spur gears 5, reduction gearing in the casings 6, and the shafts 7 which carry sprockets engaging the chains 4j The rollers 8 which make up the runway C are driven by a chain 9 passing around sprockets on the ends of the rolls and also around a drive sprocket on the end of the shaft 10. The shaft l() is driven from the shaft E through the spur gears 11 and the reduction gearing inthe casing 12. The rolls 8 constituting the runway C are interspersed with coolers 13 (Figs. 3 and 4) through which air or water may be circulated, carrying the sectional plates 14, the sectional construct-ion being employed to prevent warping. The rolls are cooled by circulating air or water therethrough and additional cooling may be provided. in the form of the air supply pipes 15 perforated along their upper sides.

The sizing rolls 16 and 17 are hollow and water cooled in the usual way. The roll 17 is driven from a worm splined on the shaft E which drives a worm wheel in the casing 18. The worm wheel drives the countershaft 19 provided at its end with a pinion 20 engaging a gear 21 on the end of the roll 17. c The rolls 16 and 17 are provided at their ends with the intermeshing gears 22 so that the roll 16 is driven from the roll /17 A hopper 23 is provided above the rolls for directing the molten glass from the pot 24 between the rolls.

The track for the car B is in the form of a pair of racks 25 which are engaged by the wheels of the car which are in the form of spur gears 26. One pair of these gears is driven from the shaft 27, which in turn is driven through the intermediary of a worm splined on the shaft E, a worm wheel in the casing 28, a clutch 29, and the gears 30 and 31. Provision is made lfor reversing the movement of the car in the form of the gears 32 and with an idler therebetween. The car will be moved forward or back depending 0n whether the clutch 29 secures the gear 30 to the shaft of the worm wheel or whether it secures the gear 33 to such shaft. Beneath the rolls 16 and 17 is a hollow apron 34, suitably cooled and arranged to direct the sheet of glass formed between the rolls toward the end of the runway C remote from the leer.V

The starting position of the apparatus is with the car B at the right hand end of the runway C. As soon as the glass is poured into the hopper 23, the car moves to the left which movement is cont-inued until the body of glass in the hopper is exhausted, at which time the casting apparatus is in its left hand position (marked Gin Fig. 2) adjacent the end of the leer. The 'reduction gearing by means of which the runway rolls, sizing rolls and car are driven is such that the linear speed of movement of the car to the left is substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the sizing rolls plus that of the runway rolls 8. For example, if the casting speed of the rolls 16 and 17 is 30 feet per minute and the peripheral speed of the runway rolls 8 is 7% feet per minute, the car is moved to the left at a rate of 371/2 feet. This deposits the plastic sheet on the runway without wrinkling or stretching it. A very slight amount of stretching is beneficial rather than otherwise but this is so slight that the term substantially as used above fairly covers this deviation. After the casting operation the car is moved back to starting position at the right hand end of the runway C. The position of the car can be so adjusted that when the next plate is formed, its forward end can be deposited on the runway as close as may be desired to the rear end of the first plate, the arrangement thus lending itself to a proper matching or spacing of the plates so as to avoid waste of leer space.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for making a sheet of glass, comprising a leer having continuously operating forwarding means, a runway at the entrance end of the leer also having forwarding means operating continuously and in the same direction as the leer forwarding means. a car mounted for movement back and forth along the runway, means for moving the car, a pair of sizing rolls carried by the car above the runway, an apron on the car below the rolls for receiving the sheet. formed between such rolls, such apron being directed toward the end of the runway remote from the leer, and means for rotating the sizing rolls as the car is moved along the runway toward the leer at a rate of peripheral speed which is substantially equal to the rate of movement of the car less the rate of movement of said forwarding means.

2. Apparatus for making a sheet of glass, comprising a leer having continuously operating forwarding means, a runway at the entrance end of the leer also having forwarding means operating continuously and in the same direction as the leer forwarding means,

a car mounted for movement back and forth along the runway, means for moving the car, a pair of sizing rolls carried by the car above the runway, an apron on the car below the rolls for receiving the sheet formed between such rolls, such apron being directed toward the end of the runway remote from the leer, a hood movable with the car extendin over the runwayand arranged to telescope Inside the leer, and means for rotating the sizing rolls as the car is moved along the runway toward the leer at a rate of peripheral speed which is substantially equal to the rate of movement of the car less the rate of move ment of said forwarding means.

3. Apparatus for making a sheet of glass comprising a roller leer, a roller runway at the entra-nce end of the leer, means for operating said rolls in the same direction at the same peripheral speed, a car mounted for movement back and forth along the runway, a pair of sizing rolls carried by the car above the runway, an apron on the car for receiving the sheet formed between the rolls directed toward the end of the runwa remote from the leer, means for rotating t e sizing rolls at a rate of peripheral speed which is greater than that of the runway and leer rolls and means for moving the car toward the leer during the casting operation at a rate of speed which is substantially equal to the rate of peripheral speed of the sizing rolls plus that of the runway and leer rolls.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of October,

WILLIAM OWEN 

